In various orthopedic surgical procedures, it is necessary to secure two bone portions in a relatively fixed relationship to each other. For example, the need for establishing such a secured relationship is often a result of a fracture which has occurred to the bone. This secured relationship is also employed to correct deformities and malunions. To ensure that the bone can regenerate in the proper orientation and fuse the fracture, it is important that the bone portions be fixed and in the desired position during bone regeneration.
Various external fixation devices for the repair of traumatized bone are known. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,650 to Bailey et al. discloses an apparatus for the external fixation of large bones. The apparatus is illustrated to include a main body as well as a first and second bone screw clamps. The main body serves to allow the apparatus to axially rotate, thereby providing a proper longitudinal rotational location of the bone screws with respect to a bone. The first bone screw clamp is used to secure a first bone screw to the apparatus while permitting the first bone screw to be axially displaced from the main body. In a similar fashion, the second bone screw clamp functions to secure a second bone screw to the apparatus and to allow the second bone screw to be axially displaced with respect to the main body. U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,650 is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
In certain orthopedic surgical procedures, it is necessary to engage two bone portions in a fixed relationship and to angulate, rotate and/or translate the two bone portions relative to each other. The need for making such an adjustment is frequently the result of bone deformity. Such bone deformities may result from congenital defects including but not limited to Blount's Disease, Tibia Vara, and Hypophosphatemic Rickets. Adjustment of bone portions may also be required as a result of post-traumatic applications, such as the correction of bone malunions.
Other known devices are available for the correction of bone deformities and malunions. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,879 discloses an external fixator for adjustably securing a first bone portion in a position relative to a second bone portion. The fixator includes a first clamping assembly for receiving a first bone screw connected to the first bone portion and a second clamping assembly for receiving a second bone screw connected to the second bone portion. The first and second clamping assemblies are interconnected by a connection member. The external fixator also includes a drive unit for controlling angular adjustment of the second clamping assembly relative to the first clamping assembly.
While the fixators specifically for correcting bone deformities and malunions of the type described above may have proven acceptable for certain applications, such fixators are nevertheless susceptible to improvements that may enhance the performance of the fixator for particular applications.